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Club CEO sues internet poster....

Messages
4,446
Gday all,

Good to be back, although i fear the next few weeks will only allow for posting at irregular times. I'll do my best though!

This has only filtered through a bit in Sydney, i don't know how much of it has spread around the RL community. But Souths CEO, David Tapp, has decided to pursue legal action against 'The Botak', a famed poster on both the rleague messageboards and the Souths website. The Botak, who for several months, had continually attacked Tapp through internet postings, was informed several days ago that Tapp would be pursuing a claim against him.

Interesting, could have wide ranging implications in the world of internet message boards. What does it do for the idea of freedom of speech on message boards? How will it stack up against the Gutnick case? I wouldn't have thought that these two situations would be quite similar, but perhaps the judge will find a way to differentiate between the cases

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,6459611-23214,00.html

What does everyone else think?

Cheers,
Moffo
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,383
wb Moffo.

I read this on another site and thought it was joke at first. But then I saw it was to do with Souths, so the story suddenly becomes more credible.

If Souths control the site, why cant they just instruct the moderators to act? The whole thing smacks of David Tapp taking himself a tad too seriously.

In any case, I'm on The Botaks side. Lets hope it goes to court just to see how stupid some administrators can get.
 
Messages
4,446
Cheers mate

Personally, i think Tapp is unprofessional. Firstly, he makes a sham of the Walker contract situation, allowing him to sign with another club which is totally ridiculous. And now he sues a fan rather than, as u say, just delete the messages. I think the Botak was suggesting that Tapp was running the club unethically, but shit, wouldn't the defence of 'in the public interest' operate here? Tapp has run the club piss poorly, i think he is operating unethically in the interests of the clubs members by allowing a major recruit to just POQ when he has a sook.

Tapp has a snowballs chance of getting this one up. If he can't be above personal criticism, then he should piss off back to his ex-job at 2ky. Tapp's appointment was a farce in the first place, how can someone go from co-hosting the summer edition of a radio breakfast show on the least popular station in Sydney to being CEO of a football club? Smells of a mates system, the same thing that has been suffocating Souths for a long time now. Time to get the broom out again, and sweep out everything within a 5km radius of Redfern, including the original parrot in Alan Jones, who, if reports are to be relied upon, is trying to get his best mates, Jacin Sinclair, Chris Carauna and Tricky back in the club. Not to mention the fact that one of Souths new board members - Nick Grenier, is off on a 2 month junket overseas. Farcical, board members should not be doing things such as this

Its such a pity that in 18 months, the best thing to happen to RL, the re-emergence of Souths, has turned into such a shambles.

Cheers,
Moffo
 

imported_Tonyp

Juniors
Messages
37
Looking through their sponsor list and their attendance figures, it is pretty clear they are not going to survive where they are.
Who at Souths will have the balls to save the colours by re-locating - either to the Central Coast or the Gold Coast?
By the time they realise the inevitable, there'll be no time to plan a dignified and acceptable exodus OR the Storm and the Sharks will have beaten them to the prize.
 
Messages
497
I don't know who he is but he seems to speak much truth.
Here's his post on the Souths webpage that Tapp seems to have had a coronary over.

<hr>
<span>Chris Walker?s departure is a sure sign that things are still not right at Souths. The conflicting stories from the club saying Walker?s problems were personal and Walker?s own version that he was not happy at the club show that disinformation is alive and well.
However this disinformation is now only stemming from one source ? David Tapp. Let?s look at Tapp?s work shall we:
Paul Dunn when he was CEO was undermined by Tapp in cahoots with Norm Lipson by refusing to comply with business and office regulations laid down by the CEO. When called to account went to Nolene.
Brandon Punter, George?s first choice for CEO gets the job for very short 24 hours whereupon Tapp becomes interim CEO. (no applicants were taken for the job Tapp was simply given the fulltime job along with his previous sponsorship manager?s job and later the marketing manager?s job when Caroline Lumley was made redundant).
Tapp leaks the membership drop figures to Danny Weidler and then lies about the figures himself in the press in an attempt to fuel the us-versus-the-bastards mentality at Souths to his own advantage.
A total of 44 sponsors are missing from Souths sponsorship list from 2002 in the new list in 2003. Of those sponsors that are listed many are on greatly reduced deals (Wayne Black and Associates being a prime example). This is the quality of work Tapp delivers regarding sponsorship.
Scott Geddes gets injured and Tapp investigates reducing his contract payments (real gentlemanly, and great for morale)
Tapp is instrumental in signing Joven Clarke to an extended contract and uses this to publicise himself and Souths management, only to see Joven put up for release 5 months later.
Tapp urges the appointment of Paul Langmack, at the behest of Alan Jones. Despite CV?s submitted from Arthur Kitinas and Bobby Lindner they do not even receive a reply, let alone an interview. Paul Langmack delivers an ultimatum to Souths that if he is not appointed for 3 years he will walk, Souths under Piggins caves in fearing further adverse publicity in the upcoming election and AGM.
Tapp had taken it upon himself to berate players in the sheds and at training in the pre-season, something the players resented (rightfully as Tapp has no real player experience) immensely. (Tapp is only too keen to let anyone who will listen know that he has a level 2 coaching certificate). This along with Jim Hatfield and the stupid Wilsons doing the same thing has been a great contributing factor to the low morale among players at the club.
Tapp is approached by Chris Walker?s manager regarding gaining a release, it is all too hard for him and he caves in. Walker is in an emotional state and requires deft and tactful handling so that he understands that any release would disallow him from playing in the NRL until his contract was up, but Tapp lacked the people and negotiating skills and the intellect to comprehend this.
Tapp is a conduit both for Alan Jones and Nolene Piggins. He relays information back to both, even though they are entitled to none. He also acts as a lobbyist for Alan Jones schemes within the club. Jones, Tapp and Langmack are working towards replacing Danny Loftus as coach of the Premier league with none other than Jacin Sinclair! They have virtually completed the deal to bring Terry Hill in as Langmack?s assistant in 2004. They are also working at bringing in Tricky Trindall, even though the Trickster fell off the wagon the other day and put in a disgraceful performance at a Newtown function that leaves him probably banned from that club .
Tapp working on behalf of Jones is frightening enough. We know that Jones is a merger merchant (the Canberra deal) and we know that he is responsible for the disastrous leagues club strategy (hardly the right word) of the 1990s. We also know that Jones is part of the 2GB connection of Peter Frilingos, Ray Hadley, Roy Masters who mysteriously put in an enormous amount of support for Piggins in the leadup to the non-election. The reason is that they serve another agenda, that of John Singleton, to get a team on the Central Coast (an NRL goal) whether by Souths moving or by Souths demise. These people understood that if Piggins stayed in charge then this was inevitable.
Let?s look closer still at Souths at the moment. There are up to 5 players that want out because of Langmack and Tapp. Lee Hookey and Willie Peters do not even talk to Langmack and cannot stand to be in the same room. Paul Stringer (who has twice looked for a release due to the terrible way the club is run) is also believed to be looking elsewhere.
Langmack has been a constant source of problems at Souths. He was first pushed into the place by Alan Jones. When Coleman was kept last year he was coach in name only, Blake was the coach and Langmack the assistant and defensive coach. Coleman was told this by Jim Hatfield. So Coleman really had no chance when Langmack was undermining both he and Blake.
In a series of inept and bumbling decisions, by Tapp, Piggins and Jones, Coleman is sacked after being promised time, Blake is made interim coach despite lacking credentials, Langmack then undermines this and grabs the job, without a win, for 3 years. We then lose the astute brain of Marty Gurr into the bargain.
These disgraceful decisions are set to impact on Souths for a long time to come. Because there is still much of Piggins incompetence and poison present at the club not only in his terrible decisions but in the personnel put in place.
Souths fans have every right to be upset, we have not had the chance to have our say in an election (largely because Nick Pappas wanted compromise in a move towards reconciliation). We are left with more than half of George?s absolutely incompetent rubber stamp board. We are left with a CEO who is less than honest, self-serving and far out of his depth in even the sponsorship managers job, let alone his other hats of marketing and CEO.We are left with Langmack signed for 3 years but now put on 2 weeks notice by the club.
The situation we have now is of a potential player revolt because of inept management and the handwringing situation that presents itself for the rest of 2003. And when we look back to the start of 2002 when all the hope and goodwill, potential and promise belonged to Souths we know who and what is responsible. Jim Hatfield has had the audacity to declare that if Pappas does not bring in the big end of town then George will be back.
I would suggest that this is the last thing Souths needs. The sooner Souths fans can get their chance to elect a proper board, not still filled with incompetent lackeys of the totally incompetent, negligent bully that is Piggins the better. Nick Pappas only mistake thus far has been just that, to not allow the members to have their say. We are the people?s team and a stinking cloud still hangs over our club that the fans are smart enough to understand and wise enough to get rid of.
The deadwood of Piggins appointments ? Tapp, Langmack, Hatfield, Lahood, Lahood and Alan Jones- must be cleared away. Tapp and Langmack should be paid out forthwith and these other bozos shunted off the board for competent people as quickly as possible. True reconciliation can only come when we can once more utilise the expertise of those people who have been the victims of Piggins acrimoniousness. The people who pushed us back into the competition and gained the massive sponsorship, the people who had grand visions for the club backed up by business plans to achieve it, the people who are fans of the club willing to put their time and effort in even while they have been badmouthed and vilified by these disgraceful individuals who are still killing South Sydney. It is time to reconcile with Group # 14 and to get them back into the fold with some real strategies before the cancer that has only been half cut out kills us.
</span>
 
Messages
141
Tapp is a deadset wanker.
What is this goose hoping to achieve by taking a "cryptic" poster to court? Like Willow said: if it's on the official Rabittohs Forum Page, then why not just delete the post and the writer?
Just another proof that the Rabittohs have no friggin clue on how to handle in-house matters. What a joke.
Res-Dog :)
Cheers-AaronC
 
Messages
497
A poster who goes by the username <span><a target=_top name=2145></a>Long Necked Goose at the same message board seems to sum it up well in this post.
<hr> </span>

<span>The laughable actions of David Tapp in now attempting to waste Club funds in legal action against Botak smacks of the incompetence, ineptitude and stupidity that has characterised SSDRLFC management for too many years ago.
I've no doubt the decision beats a path all the way back to the front door of George and Noelene Piggins.
Imagine a CEO wasting the Club's diminishing money on legal action against a fan who has simply shone the bright light of the truth on the idiocy that is known as management at Chalmers Street.
In a week highlighted by the Chris Walker fiasco, this takes the cake. Souths are officially a joke.
Top recruits walk out the door; others can't wait to leave; our longest serving player in the Club's history isn't even welcome anymore; the Juniors are winding back sponsorship; a coach is appointed for 3 years on the basis of a flash in the pan result.
And all the Club can do is sue one of its own fans. For a CEO Tapp makes a great western suburbs motor racing caller.
So what will be the next thing we hear from Tapp et al. Will they whinge and whine about returning to crappy old Redfern Oval. Will they make some more demands that taxpayers and South Sydney Council should pump millions into Redfern Oval in some harebrained attempt to save a Leagues Club whose only future is as a site for medium density housing?
Souths are slowly dying. Unless radical change is brought about both on the field and off there will be no more Club after 2005. The Pappas-Piggins deal represents the worst of both worlds. A Chairman completely subject to the will and stupidity of the Piggins majority. A paper tiger that really can't do a thing.
If Souths fall over this time then that will be it. The goodwill has been squandered. If we fail this time we will be mentioned in the same breathe as Glebe, University and Cumberland.
We have now slumped to the point where an inept glass-jawed CEO's top priority appears to be legal action against a fan on a website.
We are a joke.
We have hit rock bottom.</span>
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,383
After reading all that (thanx RD), its fairly apparent that there are those within Souths who are using the forums to voice opposition to Tapp.

It has the hallmarks of some wider political move to oust Tapp. These are long posts that take a lot of time to get together... and they cut hard.
I wouldn't be surprised if Tapp has already had some personal run-ins with the forummers in question.

Moffo called Souths a shambles... I think thats an understatement.
 

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